Canadian pilots are at risk for fatigue

Airline pilots in Canada could be at risk for fatigue and are violating international standards.

Paul Strachan, the president of the Air Canada Pilots Association told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that Transport Canada’s outdated regulations are putting pilots and passengers in danger because they don’t take into account the latest research on why flying overnight is harder on the body than day-time flying.

Canadian regulations, written in 1965 and updated in 1996, permit pilots to fly 14 hours over a 24-hour period, with specific guidelines for rest periods in between.

Unlike other countries though, the rules do not distinguish between daytime and overnight flying.

Strachan says the fatigue pilots feel is very similar to the affects of alcohol consumption and while drinking on the job is strictly forbidden worldwide. There are no sufficient regulations in the country for fatigue.

Transport Canada has committed to launching a review of its policies this summer but the process could take up to two years.

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